An interpretation of the behaviour of a deep excavation in Shanghai based on numerical analysis

This paper illustrates the performance of a 20 m-deep excavation carried out in the Shanghai clayey deposit. The project included two adjacent large excavations supported by five prop levels. Ground deformation, lateral wall movements, strut loads and building settlements were accurately monitored during the construction activities, and their values were related to the different construction stages. In the paper, an interpretation of the observed deformations is provided by the results of finite element analysis of a section of the excavation, in which the Shanghai clay was modeled using an advanced plasticity constitutive model.